Method of packaging bulk frozen comestibles and dispensing same



FROZ

Nov. 14, 1939.

Nov. 14, 1939. H. w. OHLHAVER 3 METHOD OF PACKAGING BULK FROZEN COMESTIBLES AND DISPENSING SAME Filed April 5, 1939 s Sheets-Shet 2 fydmer Wfilauer Nov. 14, 1939. H w. OHLHAVER 2.180. 98

METHOD OF PACKAGING BULK FROZEN COMESTIBLES AND DISPENSING SAME Filed April 5, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Nov. 14, 1939 UNlTED STATES PATENT OFFlCE METHOD OF PACKAGING BULK FROZEN COlVIESTIBLES AND DISPENSING SAME Homer W. Ohlhaver, River Forest, Ill., assignor to Marathon Paper Mills Company, Rothschild, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application April 5, 1939, Serial No. 266,190

4 Claims.

' Patent No. 2,109,102, February 22, 1938, to package bulk ice cream and the like in large cartons constructed of paper or other distortable material. According to said process, the cartons are supported in a suitable receptacle while being filled with the semi-liquidcomestible in order to support the walls of the cartons and to prevent same from bulging or distorting. After the cartons are filled with ice cream or the like they are subjected to freezing conditions while still being retained in the receptacles, thereby preventing any distortion or bulging of the side walls of the cartons during the freezing process. After the contents in the cartons have been frozen they may be stored or delivered to retail stores for dispensing purposes. The cartons so prepared are placed in suitable insert receptacles which are provided in the refrigerator cabinets now in general use in retail stores. These insert receptacles serve the purpose of supporting the collapsible and distortable side walls of the cartons during the dispensing operation.

An important feature of the invention, therefore, is the provision of cartons having unit capacity and contour or multiples thereof whereby multiple units of said cartons may be supported during filling and freezing operations while retaining their initialcontour. The packaging of ice cream and the like in unit receptacles as herein described enables the ice cream'manufacturer to package a large number of different flavors in suitable quantities for delivery to stores and restaurants and the like throughout the entire year. For example, during the summer months, if there should be a great demand for chocolate and vanilla flavors the ice cream manufacturers would package the ice cream flavors in the larger size cartons, say of a capacity of 4 gallons. However, if during the winter months the demand for these flavors should lessen, then the ice cream manufacturer would package these flavors in cartons of one-half or one-quarter the size. Ac-

cordingly, the ice cream manufacturer can supply as many flavors as there is a customer demand in such quantities as are needed for actual the selling purposes. The stores and restaurants are therefore always provided with a large number of flavors in such quantities as will be freshly delivered from the factory without prolonged storage in the refrigerator cabinets prior to consumption by the customers. Spoilage of flavor and undesirable changes in texture of the ice cream during prolonged storage will therefore be eliminated.

It is estimated that about three-fifths of the total ice cream in a given year is sold during the three to five warm months of the year. It therefore follows that during the warm summer months deliveries are being made frequently from the ice cream factory and that the ice ice cream shows a marked inferior texture and flavor compared with the ice cream which is delivered fresh from the factory. According to the present invention it is possible to have fresh ice cream for sale at all times on account of a rapid turnover which is made possible by supplying only suflicient quantities of ice cream at approximately the same rate as they are sold by the retailer. The flexibility of the packaging and dispensing of ice cream offered by the present invention thus make it possible to supply factory fresh ice cream to the consumer at all times. This invention also helps in a great degree to reduce delivery costs and cabinet investment cost by choosing cartons of suitable size for the gallonage required and for the number of flavors required by each customer.

Further details of the invention will appear in following specification and drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a perspective view of a supporting receptacle in which the cartons are supported during the filling and freezing operations,

Figure 2 is a plan view of the supporting receptacle illustrating cartons of unit contour and capacity or multiples thereof retained in said receptacle,

Figure 3 is a plan view of the supporting receptacle illustrating other cartons retained therein of unit contour and capacity, or multiples thereof,

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view of a refrigerator cabinet illustrating two insert receptacles 5 suspended therein for snugly retaining and supporting cartons,

Figure 5 is a perspective view of an insert receptacle,

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a carton of predetermined contour and having a capacity of four gallons,

Figure 7 is a perspective view of a carton having a predetermined unit contour and a capacity of one gallon,

Figure 8 is a perspective view of a carton having a predetermined contour and a capacity of two gallons,

Figure 9 is a perspective view of an insert receptacle snugly supporting a carton having a capacity offour gallons, a

Figure 10 is a perspective view of an insert receptacle snugly supporting two cartons each having a capacity of two gallons,

Figure 11 is a perspective view of an insert receptacle containing three cartons snugly supported thereon, two cartons having a capacity of one gallon, and one carton having a capacity of two gallons,

Figure 12 is a perspective view of an insert receptacle having four cartons of one gallon capacity each snugly supported therein, and

Figure 13 is a perspective view of an insert receptacle'having three cartons horizontally supported therein, one carton having a capacity of two gallons and two cartons having a capacity of one gallon each.

According to the present invention, bulk ice cream and the like is packaged in cartons, preferably rectangular in shape, and so proportioned in size and dimensions as to constitute units or multiples thereof which may be conveniently placed during filling and freezing operations in a supporting receptacle or in the insert receptacles provided in refrigerator cabinets for dispensing purposes. As shown in Figures 6, 7 and 8, cartons I, 2 and 4 may be constructed of 1- gallon, 2-gallon and 4-gallon capacity, and rectangular in shape. These cartons are so proportioned that four individual l-gallon cartons I, may be inserted within a supporting receptacle II], as shown in Figure 2, which is adapted to snugly receive the four cartons. The same compartments are also adapted to snugly receive two cartons 2, each of 2-gallon capacity, as shown in Suitable removable partitions I l are provided between the cartons inorder to support the side walls thereof during filling and freezing operations. The central partition [4 in the receptacle is preferably fixed. By moving the partitions H it is possible to adapt the same receptacle for receiving and snugly supporting any desired combination of difierent cartons having a unit volume and contour, or multiples thereof, as shown in Figures 2 and 3.

The packaging of bulk ice cream in accordance with the present method thus overcomes a longstanding problem which has been encountered by retailers, hotels, and restaurants in being able to supply a large number of flavors of ice cream and the like to customers during all times of the year with the same refrigerator capacity. As previously explained, the cartons are so formed as to be receivable in especially constructed insert receptacles 20, as shown in Figure 5, which are erator cabinet.

Figure 3, or a single carton ll, of -gallon capacity.

adapted to be suspended in refrigerator cabinets 30 as used in stores and restaurants. These insert receptacles are provided with flange portions 2| which are adapted to engage hooks 20 in the refrigerator. The cabinets 30 otherwise are of usual construction having refrigerating coils 24 and insulation 23. l

As shown in Figures 9 to 13, the insert receptacles 20 are so constructed as to snugly receive and support cartons having a predetermined unit contour and volume, or multiples thereof. The same insert receptacle can thus snugly support a four gallon carton 4, as shown in Figure 9; two 2-gallon cartons 2, as shown in Figure 10; two l-gallon cartons I; and one 2-gallon carton 2, as shown in Figure 11; and four l-gallon cartons as shown in Figure 12. In each case the cartons are snugly retained and supported in the inserted receptacle 20, since they are constructed so as to have a unit volume and contour, or multiples thereof. As shown in Figures 13, the same cartons may also be supported in the insert receptacle in horizontal position instead of an upright position as in Figure 11. When the smaller unit cartons are used it is advantageous to support them in the manner illustrated in Figure 13 as dispensing of the ice cream is facilitated. The cartons in the lower layer also tend to retain the contents in harder condition than the upper cartons in the insert receptacle.

In accordance with prior practice, ice cream manufacturers supply to retailers and restaurants ice cream in standard unit containers of 5 or 2 gallon capacity. Furthermore, such containers have usually been round in contour, thereby occupying a large space in the refrigerator cabinet and thus making it possible to serve only a limited number of flavors from a given refrig- In accordance with the present invention,- the bulk ice cream and the like is packaged in cartons of rectangular contour, thereby utilizing practically the entire space within the refrigerator cabinet and making it possible to have a large number of diiferent flavors of cartons for dispensing purposes. Each of the cartons placed within the refrigerator may contain a diflerent flavor. The working capacity of the refrigerator is thus very considerably enlarged. As previouslyexplained, it is possible to have in the same compartment of a refrigerator cabinet one, two, three, or four different flavors. For example, in the'same compartment there may be placed four l-gallon cartons each containing a different flavor. Or, there may be placed two l-gallon cartons and one 2-gallon carton, each of the cartons containing a difierent flavor. Or, there may be placed two cartons of 2-gallon capacity, each carton containing diflerent flavors.

Any suitable equipment may be used to package the bulk ice cream and the like in the cartons, as well as for snugly and rigidly supporting the cartons in the refrigerator cabinets for dispensing purposes. It is preferred to support the car- I receptacles 20 which are suspended in the refrigerator cabinets for dispensing purposes, as previously explained. These insert receptacles are constructed, preferably of sheet -metal, and have a predetermined contour, the walls being rigid in order to readily retain and support the cartons placed therein.

It is to be understood that the process may be modified in any of its details and that the invention is not limited to the specific examples herein given.

I claim:

1. The method of packaging bulk ice cream for dispensing from cartons which comprises segreating semi-frozen ice cream into masses of multiple units placing said masses in receptacles which are substantially filled by said masses of ice cream, and freezing the contents of said receptacles while retaining the predetermined contour of said receptacles, said receptacles being adapted to form a combined assembly having a predetermined contour.

2. The method of packaging bulk comestibles for dispensing from cartons having a predetermined contour and unit capacity which comprises providing a plurality of cartons having unit contour and capacity or multiples thereof, filling said cartons with a comestible, supporting the walls of said cartons during the filling operation in order to retain the predetermined contour of said cartons, subjecting the filled cartons to freezing conditions while supporting the walls of the cartons, and assembling said cartons in supporting receptacles of predetermined contour adapted to snugly receive and support a plurality of said cartons.

3. The method of packaging bulk ice cream and the like which comprises segregating a mass of semi-frozen ice cream into multiple units, placing said units in receptacles having a predetermined unit contour and capacity or multiples thereof, supporting the side walls of said receptacles and subjecting to freezing conditions in order to maintain the predetermined contour of said receptacles, and placing a plurality of said units in a receptacle of predetermined contour adapted to receive a plurality of said units and to snugly retain same during the dispensing operatipn of the contents within said cartons.

4. A method of packaging bulk ice cream and the like for dispensing from cartons constructed of paper and the like and having a predetermined unit contour and contents or multiples thereof which comprises segregating ice creamof different' flavors into masses of multiple units, placing said masses in individual receptacles having a predetermined contour and capacity or multiples thereof, substantially filling said cartons with said masses of ice cream, hardening the ice cream in said cartons while retaining the walls thereof to prevent substantial distortion or bulging, and placing a plurality of said cartons into a combined assembly, said assembly having a predetermined contour and adapted to be received in a receptacle having a complemental contour whereby said cartons may be snugly retained and supported during the dispensing of the ice cream contained therein.

HOMER W. OHLHAVER. 

